About Children's Services

Ofsted gives Islington Children's Services top rating

Great schools, great children's centres and great support for families - Ofsted have given Islington Children's Services the top rating of "performing excellently" in the annual inspection.

The assessment covers all of Children's Services, from children's social care and child protection to schools, children's centres, adoption, fostering and childminders.

The report highlighted that the council’s range of excellent children’s services are helping bridge the inequality gap between wealth and poverty and supporting the most disadvantaged to make sure they get the best chance in life.

Islington achievements include:

Almost twice as many Islington schools are good or outstanding compared with the national average.

All Islington special schools and Pupil Referral Units are outstanding or good.

Significant improvements have been made in Islington’s Sixth form provision with all being graded as good or outstanding.

Attainment for children on free schools meals is above the national average.

Working together

Children, young people and families are an important part of Islington. This is their Islington and a place for them to live, play, learn and work.

What is important for all of us is that every child and young person in Islington has the opportunity to achieve as much as they are able, and their parents, carers and communities have the support they need to nurture and care for them.

Working together with parents, carers, the wider community, those working with children – and children and young people themselves – Islington Council, through the Islington Children’s Partnership, wants to support children and young people in Islington as they grow up, making it possible for them to:

be fit and healthy by enjoying good physical and mental health and living a healthy lifestyle

feel safe in and around Islington by being protected from harm and neglect

learn, have things to do and have fun by getting the most out of life and developing skills for adulthood

be involved with the community and society and avoid offending or engaging in anti-social behaviour

have the social, personal, financial and other life skills to enjoy their future, and not be prevented by economic disadvantage from achieving their full potential in life.

The progress the whole community has made in improving children’s lives in Islington is supported by the strong partnerships between groups such as:

Islington Council

children’s centres, schools and further education

the community and voluntary sector

health services

police and probation services

Jobcentre Plus.

Our commitment is to foster the development of individuals who can flourish and shine, and who have a sense of belonging to and ownership of the community they live in. They want to feel safe and have high standards of respect for themselves and others and all partners will support them in that enterprise.

In the pages in this section, you can find out more about some of the services within the council's Children’s Services department, our partnerships and key policies, and the work of the Children’s Partnership.